


Hollywood Boulevard

by mulderbaby



Series: Fictober 2020 [6]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fox Mulder's Birthday, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:08:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27139849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mulderbaby/pseuds/mulderbaby
Summary: Fictober Day 14 prompt: "You did this?"
Relationships: Fox Mulder/Dana Scully
Series: Fictober 2020 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980989
Comments: 2
Kudos: 39





	Hollywood Boulevard

Mulder had entered the office this morning with more pep in his step than he’d had in what felt like years, that was, until he realized Scully was nowhere to be found. Maybe she’s running late, he reasoned. After all, she’d been taking her time in the mornings these days, allowing herself to stay behind and freshen up at his apartment while he went in ahead of her to avoid any unwanted suspicion on behalf of their superiors.

But this morning was different. Last night she had opted to stay at her own place after they finished their movie, despite his pouting and pleading with her to end her night with him as she’d done so frequently over the course of the last couple months. And so he went to sleep and woke up alone, much to his dismay.

And now she wasn’t at work.

He occupied himself with his usual habit of sharpening pencils into a precise point and chucking them up at the ceiling, until Kimberly popped her head in the door to inform him that Agent Scully had taken a personal day. Unable to mask his dejection, he let out a deep, exasperated sigh, sulking in his chair, tossing his head back. He stared at the ceiling, snapping out of his melancholy trance as one of the pencils fell from above, poking him rudely in the face.

Kimberly couldn’t help but smile to herself as she made her way back up to Skinner’s office. Scully’s prediction of Mulder’s reaction to the news had been spot on. If only he knew.

•••

The day had gone by so slow it was almost painful. There had been no word from Scully all day, and he began to worry that something was wrong. But then again, he knew that given the recent progression of their relationship, she would’ve told him if there was any sort of emergency.

Skinner had stopped by to wish him a happy birthday and insisted that he go home and “enjoy the rest of his day”, as he so cheerfully put it. It seemed as though everyone was especially joyous today, on his birthday. Everyone except him, that is.

He tried to look on the bright side. It was only 11, and he had the whole day ahead of him. He’d treat himself to a greasy lunch, lay on his couch and fantasize about his ginger-haired goddess, and then give her a call to make sure everything was okay before using every last trick in the book to lure her back to his apartment.

As he tossed his briefcase into the passenger seat, he noticed a pastel yellow slip of paper clipped under his windshield wiper. Intrigued, he picked it up, unfolding it and looking amusedly at the unfamiliar handwriting scribbled inside. Coordinates. Coordinates, and a time. 8:30 pm. He wondered if he ought to be considered ridiculous for wanting to satisfy his newfound curiosity, but he simply couldn’t resist. What better way to spend your birthday than following a random tip which would either lead him to inevitable disappointment or certain death?

He hopped into the driver’s seat and pulled out his map, his eagerness from earlier this morning returning as he followed the gridlines west, west, further west.. where the hell did this person want to meet him?

Apparently, the mystery man, or woman, would be meeting Mulder in California at 8:30 pm this evening, giving him plenty of time to book a flight and pack a bag. He glanced at his phone in the passenger seat, wondering if he ought to call Scully and inform her of his future whereabouts, maybe she’d want to tag along. He shook the idea out of his mind. Clearly, she had other plans today.

•••

Mulder’s flight arrived at LAX around 7:45 pm, and he grabbed a Diet Coke from one of the restaurants near the gate before going to hail a cab to take him to those coordinates.

“Evening sir, where can I take you?”

“Uh, here.” He handed the slip of paper to the cab driver who looked at the paper suspiciously, and then back at Mulder, giving him a wary eye before entering the coordinates into his navigation system and merging into the flow of Los Angeles airport traffic.

“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking, where exactly are you from?”

Mulder diverted his attention from the ebb and flow of bright lights outside his window and focused on the cab driver, who seemed to be very concerned for his passenger’s safety.

“D.C., why?”

“Well, these coordinates you gave me, most people just call it Hollywood Boulevard.”

Mulder shrugged. “Safe to say I’m not like most people, then.”

“Neither is whoever you’re meeting.” The cab driver paused. “Who are you meeting?”

“That’s an excellent question.”

The cab driver gave Mulder one of the more skeptical looks he’d received in his lifetime, and there had been a lot of them.

“Guess I’ll find out when I get there.”

•••

Unfortunately, he didn’t. Mulder handed a 50 to the driver who thanked him graciously before taking off into the buzzing city. Here he was, standing on some street corner, waiting for what? For who?

“Mr. Mulder, I’ve been expecting you!” A cheerful voice piped up from behind him. A fair-haired man close to his age, maybe a bit younger, and much shorter, was now at his side.

“How do you know me?”

“I was sent here to pick you up! You.. you didn’t think you’d be able to find the place alone did you?“

Mulder didn’t know who was more confused here. Reluctantly, he indulged the younger gentleman and asked, “what place are you referring to?”

A look of discombobulation crossed the man’s face, and then a look of realization, as his eyes went wide and he nodded quickly before grinning at Mulder. Mulder was definitely the confused one.

“Right this way, Mr. Mulder! Oh, and happy birthday, by the way! We’re glad you were able to make it.”

We?

“How did you know today was my birthday?” Mulder inquired, hesitantly following the friendly man around the corner and into the passenger seat of his gray sedan.

“Uh.. your friend told me. The one you’re meeting here?”

Mulder furrowed his brow, shrugging as his new friend put the key in the ignition and began to drive away from the bustling city lights.

He wasn’t nervous. Well, maybe a little. He definitely regretted not calling Scully beforehand, because he wasn’t entirely sure if or when he would be returning to Washington.

The drive was silent other than Van Morrison playing from the radio as the light haired man drove Mulder eagerly to his still unknown destination.

•••

Mulder had begun to lose track of time when suddenly, his chauffeur pulled up onto an elevated area surrounded by trees, looking out over the water. It was a beautiful view, really, with a fresco of stars painted across it.

“Well Mr. Mulder, we’re here! I’ll walk you up there.”

Mulder almost declined the offer, but out of the slightest concern for his own safety, he agreed. The younger man didn’t bother to lock the car as they headed up the road, which Mulder assumed was a good sign.

As they approached the top, Mulder gulped as he saw a green pickup truck parked there. He felt for his gun, making sure it was still there, but as they approached the truck, he quickly realized that this elaborate scheme was the work of no mystery man or woman.

“Hey Dana! He’s here!” The young man called out and Mulder watched in awe as his not-so-mysterious woman emerged from the driver’s side of the pickup, smiling slyly as she met his bewildered gaze.

God, she is beautiful. Her short auburn locks sway with the slight breeze in the air, her eyes sparkling like the stars above as she approaches him, taking his hands and leaning up on her tiptoes to kiss him. She kisses him, so passionately yet so tenderly, and he pulls her close to him, his arms around her small waist as her arms circle his neck and she giggles against his mouth, feeling his heart thumping rapidly against his chest.

“Surprise.” She purrs against his cheek before pressing her lips there, her fingers trailing down his chest until her hand rests over his heart, just her touch enough to put him at ease again.

“Hey, uh.. I’m gonna head out.” A voice came from behind them and they looked at the younger, light haired man who was making his way back to his own vehicle.

“Charlie!” Scully called after him and Mulder looked at her in shock. “Thank you, I owe you one.”

“You two have fun.” The younger man chuckled and gave her a wave before disappearing into the night.

“Your brother?”

She shrugged, a smile on her face that was almost smug as she led him to the bed of the truck which she had covered in blankets and pillows, making him grin, shaking his head in utter disbelief.

“You know you scared the crap out of me?”

He asked and she giggled as she climbed into the bed before extending her arms, reaching for him.

“Come here, you big baby. I missed you.”

He smiled, fulfilling her wish, and she was quick to curl up against his chest, draping her legs over his lap as his arm slipped over her shoulder protectively. He pressed a lingering kiss to hair and she reached up to undo his tie, tossing it to the side and unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt before combing her fingers through the soft patch of dark curls there.

“Mulder?”

“Mhm?”

“Are you gonna open your present?” She looked up at him, eyes full of anticipation and he chuckled to himself.

“Scully, this is the best present I could ever ask for. Being with you.” He kissed the tip of her nose and she giggled like a little girl, sitting up and reaching for a periwinkle envelope and placing it in his lap.

“Open it.”

He looked at her, shaking his head as he wondered what more she could possibly have planned for him.

Inside the envelope was a folded piece of copy paper, which he unfolded with Scully’s chin perched on his shoulder as she watched his face carefully, hugging his arm.

“Scully, what is this?”

“Look closer.”

She gave him a moment and finally he looked up at her, the look in his eyes a mix of wonder and appreciation as he tried to grasp how or why someone might ever go to such great lengths for him.

“Now you have your own star, Mulder. See, that’s it right there.”

She pointed up at the sky excitedly but all Mulder could focus on was her. His Scully, the way she loved him, the thought she had put into this gift, this day, almost too much for his heart to take.

“Scully.”

She turned to face him and his lips were on hers instantly. Time seemed to stop for them as they held each other there like that, her fingers stroking the back of his hair as the pad of his thumb brushed over her cheek. Eventually she broke the kiss, pulling back to meet his eyes, which were glistening with tears, some of which had already begun to fall down his cheeks.

“You did this? For me?” He murmured softly and she smiled knowingly at him, her own eyes watering a little as she took in the pure wonder on his face at the notion that he could ever be loved like this.

“Why?”

She had to smile now. Her love for him almost too much for her heart to take.

“Oh Mulder.” She squeezed his hand. “If only I could find the words to tell you how much I love you.”

He swallowed the lump in his throat as she settled comfortably in his lap, his arms wrapping around her in a warm embrace, his chin coming to rest atop her head.

“I’ll take this any day, Scully.”

She hummed contently against his chest, a satisfied smile playing at her lips as he stroked her hair.

“And Scully?”

“Mhm?”

“I love you too.”

She sighs happily, realizing she’ll never need anything more than this. Than him.

“Happy Birthday, Mulder.”

•••


End file.
